Whatever The Question the Answer is Always, Always, Always Love
by mrsgoodejacksonpotter
Summary: Ever wondered how Patronuses are produced, how they are summoned, or who looks after them? Well click here to see as Will Lewis finds about the science behind Patronuses in a lecture, and how it shapes his life. (Please?)


Whatever the Question the Answer is Always, Always, _Always _Love

**Ok, so disclaimer alert (!) - JKR created the Harry Potter Universe, this is just my take on how one aspect of it would work!**

**Oh this story is about Patronuses BTW**

'Will, you need to set off for the lecture now if you want to get a good seat"

I chuckled to myself. Only my mother could be concerned about me getting a poor seat in a lecture, when the view was likely to consist of a balding man in his mid 50's _talking_ to us. Looking at myself in the mirror, I was critical of all I saw; a mop of brown hair, boring hazel eyes, a long lanky frame that I had yet to grow into (and was starting to think my mother was lying when she said I'd bulk up by 16), and completely unassuming plain muggle clothing. I was at Hufflepuff in Hogwarts, and my younger sister, Emma still attends, in 6th year, in Ravenclaw. Having come from a muggle born mother and half-blood father, I fit in quite well, because despite all that Harry Potter proved, some things just don't change, and I wasn't anxious to test the boundaries of this newfound house unity with Slytherin.

"Will!" came the ever-insistent bark of my mother, at a decibel level of slightly quieter than a fog horn

I sighed inwardly, and dragged my awkward body towards the front door, but not before my mother could step in my path, and announce that I needed to keep my back straight, chin up and eyes open if I wanted to maintain a physical presence in the hall. She then went on to say that I should really walk with more purpose, so I departed the house with a confident strut, and was feeling great until Mum came waddling down the street crying that I had left my keys behind. So I stopped, turned around, and began the demoralizing shuffle back to the house to grab my long lost keys, and apparate to Domus Patronus. Oh yes, I thought, this is going to be a _great_ day…

When I appeared at the door of the building I was taken aback for a moment in awe of what I saw; a building that seemed modern, but gave the impression of being able to fit into any century; any time. The material it consisted of was indescribable, was it gas or liquid, warm or cold? I suppose that this all made sense, because this building was made from the same substance that patronuses are, and we are all brought up to know that happiness is era-defying, and can be whatever brings joy to one person. As I concentrated on the walls I saw that the very foundations on which the building was made was ebbing and flowing, as though the memories were being added to at that very point; as though it were constantly building a barrier against hate, angst and war; fluctuating with the air. Because of all of this, I felt drawn to the building, like my soul was connecting to the frames and doors, straining to be away from the open aired hostility of life deprived of happiness.

As soon as I entered the confinement of the walls I felt content, no longer scrutinizing my appearance, or pondering turning back, and as I walked deeper and deeper into the heart of the labyrinth of rooms, I became more confident and totally, utterly, unequivocally, indescribably at ease with myself. I'd never felt happier in my life. Inside the building bore no resemblance to the outside; it looked like your average office, but any wizard or witch could tell that the very particles in the air were made of more than just oxygen.

Upon finding the easily navigable lecture hall, I was greeted by the sight of around 100 faded navy cinema seats in an amphitheater formation around a small rectangular stage, raised a metre or two off the ground. The domed ceiling was charmed to look like constellations, as though designed to make you feel insignificant. Then I reconsidered how much this element resembled Hogwarts's charmed ceiling, and how much I admired it. This was one of my happiest memories; my first time at Hogwarts, seeing such wide scale magic, was this hall fitted to please each looker? I. Love. Magic.

Finding myself early, I decided to sit in the middle of the room, nearer the top than the bottom, and began to watch the witch and wizards' attempts at muggle clothing. I saw skorts, ponchos, triple belts and odd shoes all walk their way past me, into the more overreaching front row seats. With each outfit more ridiculous than the next, I contentedly passed 10 minutes staring and silently laughing, before I realized that the speaker was late. The disgruntled mutterings soon became an indication that other people were aware of this too, so I further passed the time by noting my exact location in terms of chairs - (11 from the back, 14 from the front, 3 from the left, and 6 from the right, if you wanted to know.) – Oh yeah, I'm cool like that.

Finally a hushed silence echoed around the hall to alert me to the fact that our guest speaker, Castor Roberts, had deigned arrive. He swept irritably to the stage with the unmistakable air of having better things to do than lecture a group of 100 plus 18-year-old Hogwarts graduates with a speech he had, no doubt, delivered innumerably. Appearing to push his evident disgust aside, he spoke in a rich Scottish tongue in a way that demanded respect but didn't necessarily receive it. As he trundled through the grievous formalities, I studied Mr. Roberts, and noted that he was, as expected in his mid 50's, with thinning salt and pepper hair, short, and rather stocky. He wore a plain black suit with a red tie, all of which signified that this man was striving to present himself as powerful and confident. I severely doubted that this man was both of those characteristics.

"… as I'm sure you are all aware, I am the author of the revised edition of 'Patronus Spell book' that was originally composed by Griffin Wright, one of the first British Philosophers. Therefore, I am here to inform you about all things Patronus that will aid your studies in becoming a Statore Patronis, a sustainer of Patrons." He paused for breath here, his eyes balefully scanning the many glassed over judges to his speech. I, however, was highly interested in what he had to say, despite my misgivings about the man himself. Drawing for breath, apparently in acceptance to the ignorance of his audience, Mr. Roberts continued in a melancholy tone.

"Therefore, I shall begin, as one must always, in the beginning, with the History of Patronuses…"

"From our limited resources and evidence, we can see through scrolls and wood cuts, that in ancient times, the concept of Patronuses was unheard of, because there was too little happiness in such a basic world, but," he, rather incessantly paused for a dramatic effect, and continued,

"…there was love, and that made all the difference. This is because, Ladies and Gentlemen, what difference is there, really, between love and happiness, can you not see how they exist in harmony with one another, each drawing power from the other? As a result, we can deduce that a similar form of Patronus, not nearly as evolved as in the present day existed, but arguable more pure, , and we must ask ourselves why this is. Is it because we have too many distractions, because we have so much control over what goes on that we take happiness for granted, or disregard it entirely?"

I was beginning to sense that the people around me were dulling their senses; completely oblivious to the way this practiced speaker was swaying me.

"Moving on to the early 11th century, we have the earliest noted sighting of a Stagum Patronum, the Lake of the Patron, by Phyliss Reed, in Wales. It was here that we were made aware of Patronuses themselves, and how to best culture them to protect the caster…"

I smiled to myself at the unlimited versions of puns this guy had set himself up for, and then remembered that I was most probably the only person listening anyway.

"The most famous and controversial Patronuses to date, have been Wooly Mammoths and a Giant, from Hedley Fleetwood and Andros the Invincible, who are the only known wizards to have produced a corporeal patrons, that is, a fully formed Patronus, that isn't an animal. And that concludes our basic knowledge of Patronuses, because, as I'm sure you are aware from your History of Magic lessons, it was unwise for a magical being to publically practice their craft in eras of prosecution, so we must assume that this wasn't all that our ancestors were conscious of."

"Moving on to the Formation and Summoning of a Patronus Charm…"

Suddenly I felt that familiar tightening in my stomach, indicating that it was about to start rumbling, and immediately I regretted not having that slice of toast this morning. As the first grumble initiated, I panicked and began to shuffle around, trying to cover up the sound, but in turn, creating such a commotion that people began to stir from their not so subtle slumbers around me. Consequently I was shushed into submission, braced to face the mortification of setting off an earthquake warning with my tremors. I brought myself back to reality and tried to concentrate on the Formation and Summoning of a Patronus Charm.

"One begins to mould their Patronus each time you use your wand, because it creates an invisible, unbreakable, undetectable bond between that and your individual Stagnum Patronus – your Patron Lake, where the substance goes when not in use, which is situated in Domos Patronus, the House of Patron, where we are at this very moment"

Inadvertently I shivered when made aware of the sheer enormity of where I was, and looked ashamedly at my peers who were in such disrespect to what this building stood for; peace, safety, happiness, protection. Never before had I felt such a passion, other than the lessons in Modern History, about the Rise and Fall of Voldemorte; the latest Genocide. I was determined to imbibe and absorb absolutely everything I could on this subject, and it was from this point I decided what my path in life was; not an alchemist, a shop owner or a Ministry Official, I wanted to be a Statore Patronum with every fiber of my being.

"Then, this formula is added to, coagulated, if you will, by the knowledge of the spells you use, the wand you cast with, and the assessment that remarkable Sorting Hat gives you on every Witch or Wizard's first day of Hogwarts. Of course, other schools such as Beauxbatons and Durmstrang have similar methods of evaluation, which, though not as accurate, are added all the same."

At this point I began to wonder what significance my Patronus, a Beaver, corresponded to me, and how my wand, an 11 and a half-inch Maple Unicorn Hair core interlinked. This newfound information startled me, but also allowed me to marvel at the complexity of the Wizarding world, how was not a string, but a web.

I thought back to my meeting with the Sorting Hat, how it had said I was loyal and hardworking, consistent and content, could these 'qualities' really help in the real world (?), I asked myself at the time. I can see now how treasured it is to be able to trust someone, and I hope that I can consider myself trustworthy, and capable of procuring a happy memory at any point.

"Then, having acquired succinct information about your personality, your Patronus form is taken when the source of the happiest memories are traced to one or a group of people, and said Patronus will correspond in some way, minor or major depending on the relationship, to the animal form of another Patronus."

"Therefore, you can summon your Patronus, that will reside in its pool of memories until called upon, by imagining your best memory, and saying the incantation, 'Expecto Patronum', thus channeling the memories, personified via the Patronus substance through the bond that the wand shares with the Stagnum Patronus. The charm itself translates in Latin as 'find the Patron', in other words, retrieve the physical protection that happiness has against depression to be a barrier. If it is not a corporal Patronus a barrier will suffice, but a literal form; a Patron of you, can fight against the opposing force, rather than just deflect the evil. As you can deduce, the concentration on said memory is imperative, because without the memory, one is unable to channel the pool, because the figurative and physical memory must connect to each other by one seeking the other, hence the translation of the charm."

Hearing the logic behind the formation of the Patronus, being, to a abhorring presence, illogical, shows just how thin the line between good and bad is, because I always got the impression that the world was split into Harry Potters and Death Eaters, but now I can see that you are only as strong as you let yourself believe you are. If I don't let myself believe in the power of love and happiness, I am left weak and unprotected; my Stagnum will wallow in emptiness, but if I allow myself to consider the impact love and happiness has on my heart, soul and life, then I can be strong in the belief that life without love, isn't really a life worth living, and fill my Lake, my life, with happiness. Thus, I can make my Patronus purer, more powerful, and more able to protect me, and the people I share my joy and passion with.

" ' Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of places' – Who said that" Castor asked himself, knowing that, conscious or not, everyone in the hall knew those famous words Albus Dumbledore told Harry Potter, who in turn made it the slogan of the Post-War period of recovery, grief and peace.

"This, whilst an extremely philosophical sentiment, also rings true in the science of Patronus crafting, and I would be a foolish man to suggest that Albus Dumbledore wasn't aware of the significance of it in this case. The fact that your Patronus is summoned with one happy memory means that, even if you Patronus is in use, you can still source further happiness, because there will always be more happiness, both in the Stagnum, and in your soul, because that is one thing I haven't mentioned thus far. You can learn all you want about the history and facts surrounding the art of Patronuses, but you must understand one thing: you store your memories in the pool, but if you let yourself forget those that reside in your heart; your soul, then there is little use a Patronus can serve. Do not misunderstand me, this concept of a back up plan isn't what you think, you must live life with the aim of being happy, not with the aim of creating impure memories that do not truly make YOU happy. Otherwise you are simply filling your pool with more emptiness; more useless bile that enables Dark Wizardry to claim those memories and warp them; warp you. So I repeat, do not misunderstand me, you are very much connected to your memories and your happiness, even when you believe you have nothing."

A resonating silence followed this, and I wouldn't be prudent to suggest that there was one magical being in this room who wasn't completely spellbound (pun intended) by what this man was saying.

"Death Eaters" he continued, "can't produce Patronus charms, because their memories and happiness has been so distorted and programmed to the bidding of He_Who_Must_Not_Be_Named, that their happiness was impure, their souls so incapable of belief in Love or Happiness, that their Patronus could serve no purpose, because what one doesn't believe, doesn't exist. Severus Snape is the only known Death Eater to have been capable of producing a Patronus, because he was a Triple Agent, but that wasn't important. What redeemed him was not remorse; it was his lifelong love for Lily Evans, a love that created happy memories, good times, and joy. Therefore, his soul wasn't changed, his memories weren't warped, in short, he believed in the power of love and happiness, so he, and he alone could obtain protection and a Patronus."

"The next topic I wish to discuss with you, is about changes in Patronuses; how and why the occur."

Now this was a topic that interested me greatly, so if it were possible, I listened with even more precision, and I literally clung to the edge of my seat (almost falling off with anticipation).

"Because your memories and happiness circle around one person, in most cases, if that person changes, or grows more prominent in your life, coupled with a great emotional upheaval, this can lead to the rare cases of a change in form. This can either be via a conscious change, to protect an identity or such, or to present, even to yourself, that you love someone, and you can make that person a part of you. This occurs when the happy memories that you are feeding your pool centre around a new person, that is recognized, and occasionally a new form is taken on. There is no science to this process, only love – which explains it all, really. Famous recent cases of this include Nymphadora Tonks, Remus Lupin, and Severus Snape. The former and latter changed out of love, but Remus Lupin willingly changed his to hide the fact that his Patronus would have been a wolf. This, my mentees, is another emotion that can affect your happiness; shame. When you no longer find happiness in yourself, and seek to change yourself to achieve happiness. This is not healthy, and can only be undone and righted, by love."

Mr. Roberts paused here, almost as though he were steeling himself for pain and tragedy. When he projected 8 images on the wall behind him I saw why. As he opened his mouth to begin, his face turned stony and grave, and for the first time I felt that I might not want to hear what this linguist had to say. For a moment I didn't want to hear what anyone had to say.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, here is an example of how Love affects our Patronus."

On the wall were pictures of Lily, James and Harry Potter, with Severus Snape, accompanied with 2 Stags and 2 Does.

"Love and Happiness…' he began, 'are they that different? You draw happiness from love, and what would love be without happiness? Your Patronus is the patron of what; of who makes you happy, who you love. And that is precisely why these images are on this wall – you may not know why, or you may know of nothing else, either way, I am about to clarify just how tragic the story of the Potters and Severus Snape was."

If it were possible, the silence that was present previously expanded to a vortex of stillness. Everyone waited with baited breath, both dreading what he or she was about to hear, and also eager to understand Harry Potter that little bit more.

"James and Lily were soul mates, their Patronuses tell us this much; they found happiness in each other, they found love in each other. Their only son, Harry had neither of their physical bodies to guide him through life, only their legacy; the scraps of their lives left to cling to. Harry loved both memories with all his very being, and found so many happy memories from the aching sadness, the longing, the yearning to have a parental figure. This enabled him to create a Patronus at such a remarkably young age, because he eventually accepted what had happened once he realized that his parents made that sacrifice so that Harry could live in a safe world, where he could be happy; happy and safe. You may also notice that this is why he completed the family of deer in Patronus, because Harry made it so that Lily and James were so close to his heart, so connected to his soul, that he could reap the satisfaction of taking on their Patronus, their memories, their legacy."

With tears in his eyes, Mr. Roberts took a deep breath, and continued, already fearing what must be said.

"Severus Snape, unbeknownst to Lily, loved her all his life with such a burning desire, such a fiery passionate hope that on the night the Potters made their sacrifice to the world, he was welcomed into the deer family. All his happy memories came from Lily, and his redeeming quality was to ability to love and find happiness in an otherwise cruel world, which enabled him to express his love in secret, and, in the knowledge that it was impossible, Severus Snape took his secret to the grave."

"At this point you may well be wondering why I am telling you this. If I'm honest, the only reason is to show you a real life example on how love affects happiness, and how happiness ultimately saves us. Most people forget this when they enter the real world without Dumbledore telling them to love, well here I am telling you exactly the same thing. Dumbledore was a very wise man, if nothing else, remember that from this lecture."

"Any questions?"

A stunned silence met this flippant ending. Unsure of what to do, I sat on my question, but when the silence stretched out, I reluctantly put my arm in the air.

"How mu" – I stuttered and cleared my throat, holding my head high,

"How much do you believe we rely on Patronuses", I questioned, unsure of why I wanted to know the answer, only wishing to fill the silence; to give some indication that I had listen to Mr. Roberts. Despite this, I was curious to the answer, and realized that I had been wondering this throughout the entire lecture.

He stared at me for a moment, in a pleasantly surprised manner that told me he was impressed.

"How much do you rely on love to give you life?" he retorted rhetorically, "in answer to your question, Lad, we rely on them as much as we believe we need a physical form of happiness to stand for what lies within."

"Oh," – he smiled to the crowd for the first time that afternoon,

"… and for any future questions, the answer is always, always, _always _love."

And with that he winked and swept out of the hall with a satisfied smirk.

**Epilogue **

(2 years later)

"Oh God"

My friend Luke stopped sorting out his paperwork long enough to shoot me a quizzical look.

"Just… look" I said restlessly, pointing at the thin file in my outstretched hand.

"Is that Harry Potter?!" came his groggily confused reply

I released a drawn out sigh, Luke, my old Hogwarts friend from Gryffindor was clearly not fully awake this morning. He also wasn't wearing his glasses. As I shoved them on his face and his sharp features immediately went slack with recognition and sighed with me.

"Ahh" he amended, "James Potter"

"Junior" I added

"So you get to file the Patronus of James Severus Potter (?), - that, is soooooo cool"

This was the most exciting moment I had experienced since I enrolled at the Stature Patronus, not because I led a boring life – believe me, I don't, but because the Potters are that famous.

I was extremely interested to see what Patronus 11 year old James Potter would find himself worthy of, with that vivid memory of Castor Roberts explaining the Story of Harry Potter's Patronus in the Domos Patronus years ago still fresh in my memory. If I'm honest, I have thought of little else in office life.

When I was weighing up my options to my parents, they were initially skeptical, because I was 'wasting my good OWLs and NEWTs', but then I questioned back if their jobs made them happy. I had taken the silence as a cue to continue, and said that I was literally working with happiness. What more fulfilling a job is there?

Luke's deep voice brought me back to reality, starting to say something I was uninterested in, in light of this new material,

"Ca-" – I interrupted him with a prolonged 'SSHHHHHHH' as we settled down to read what that small piece of yellowing parchment bore.

_James Sirius Potter_

_Father – Harry Potter_

_Mother – Ginevra Weasley_

_Siblings – Lily Luna and Albus Severus_

_Address – Godric's Hollow_

_Age - 11_

_Wand – 14 and ¾ inches Cherry, Phoenix Tail feather core_

_Patronus – Jackal_

_Evaluation of Animal Form:  
_

_The Jackal is commonly associated with Death, particularly in Egyptian Mythology when the God of Death, Anubis, is personified as a Jackal. James' life has been plagued with death, but he has been born into a world of acceptance peace because of the work of his father and many others. Therefore, this change from the family tradition of Deer, symbolizes the changing world, and the end of Death and Tragic being the words associated with the word 'Potter'. James Potter is free to live his life uninhibited from the burden that Harry lived in, and he can live a loved life to create happy memories to fuel his Patronus. The Jackal is an extremely strong animal that has internal instincts to protect its young; James' Patronus shares this quality, as well as the regal beauty of his Parents and Grandparents' Patronus. Through his Patronus, and his very being, James can continue the Potter legacy. _

I sat and listened to the silence for a moment, put the piece of parchment into his file, and sat back down, almost in a trance of reminiscences that weren't my own.

I love my job.


End file.
